Crown Reduction a Better Option Than Lopping

Crown Reduction a Better Option Than Lopping

Storm season in South East Queensland usually brings with it rain, hail and winds strong enough to knock over some types of trees and break off branches of others. Unfortunately, these types of storms do cause considerable damage, some of it from falling branches. Cars and houses usually suffer the most in terms of property damage, and sadly, sometimes we lose human lives as well.

Many home handymen may notice large branches in their yard and indiscriminately lop off those that may be dropping leaves into guttering or littering their lawn or pool. While that may solve an immediate problem, in some circumstances it actually causes a larger one down the track. Some lopped trees are weakened by this action, while in others, the vigorous re-growth which is attached weakly to the cut wound falls off and drops onto cars and fences.

Lopping is not the Solution to Every Problem

We are often asked as a professional lopping business the best way to control intrusive growth into dangerous places like power lines. Naturally, in these types of circumstances action needs to be taken to protect people and property, but often, lopping is not the answer. A knowledgeable tree lopper will always look for an alternative.

Here at Performance Arboriculture we have established a reputation for taking on the most difficult types of jobs in the industry so we are not afraid of lopping where it is necessary. However, options like crown reduction may be more successful and reduce the necessity for continual trimming of re-growth which can become expensive.

Crown Reduction is the Preferred Alternative

Crown reduction thins out the tree canopy in spread or height by selective pruning of certain limbs back to lateral branches that can sustain the remaining limb. This ensures that the limb will not break off in a high wind and cause damage. Crown reduction when performed by experienced operators maintains the overall structure of the tree so that future growth is stable. This may require some crown shaping as well to ensure that the overall balance is maintained.

Experts Needed to Know the Right TechniqueThe actual technique used will depend on the species. Eucalypts should not be crown reduced vertically while deciduous species are much more tolerant of the practice. It is this type of knowledge that we bring to the process of tree lopping and the reason why it is so important to get our expert staff to do this type of work.Nobody is arguing that every tree in every location should be preserved at all costs. When they become diseased, they die or they encroach into locations that make them dangerous and, therefore, action needs to be taken. However it must be the correct action and we have the qualified people to undertake the work safely.